That First Song

05/24/2022

June Garber
"UNBROKEN"

Another song written by us with / for Ms. Garber for her "This I Know" album was based on her sharing the conflicted emotions and grief of a personal loss.

Fuelled with her heart and her insight, we wrote a song that was testament to her strength in overcoming the emotional upheaval she had experienced. The result of, was that she had arrived on the other side of her turmoil “Unbroken”.

💬
"Ms. Garber ends the album with a sweet and vulnerable "Unbroken". The song carries a chasm of grief created by the loss of her husband, yet at the same time you get the feeling of hopefulness. I can't listen to it without a tear in the corner of my eye and a bit of an ache in my heart"
- Shelley Gummeson, Earshot

From Ms. June Garber’s album “This I Know” album.
Writers : June Garber, Rosanne Baker Thornley, North Easton (RBT | NE)

05/20/2022

June Garber⁠
"UNDERNEATH THE JACARANDA TREE"⁠
⁠
The path to writing this song with Ms. June Garber perfectly illustrates the beauty and benefit of immersing yourself behind the eyes of the Artist. ⁠
⁠
This led us to ‘the red birds’, ‘the dancing reeds’ and to ‘where red dust rises off the elephant’s feet’. None of which my cowriter North and I had ever experienced. This shows perfectly how having the Artist share their perspective and heart in these sessions creates a perfect climate and personal connection for the song to truly resonate. ⁠

💬⁠
“From the moment I walked into the fabulous working space in Rosanne's home, to the time I left...a curious impact filled my whole being. I felt totally inspired and filled with joy! What an experience...very rare. North and Rosanne understood immediately what I wanted to say" - June Garber
⁠
“Underneath The Jacaranda Tree” ⁠
From Ms. Garber’s “This I Know” album. 
⁠
Songwriters : June Garber, Rosanne Baker Thornley, North Easton (RBT|NE)

05/19/2022

Ms. June Garber⁠
“THIS I KNOW”⁠
⁠
We don't want to overlook some of the great TFS writes that have occurred in the past. So, we’ll be doing a bit of looking back and a bit of looking forward for the next while. ⁠
⁠
Back to a write with the divine Ms. June Garber. A glimpse in at the first writing session for songs we collaborated on for her “This I Know” album, and a look at the journey to finding those songs with her. ⁠
⁠
💬⁠
“From the moment I walked into the fabulous working space in Rosanne's home, to the time I left...a curious impact filled my whole being. I felt totally inspired and filled with joy! What an experience...very rare. North and Rosanne understood immediately what I wanted to say" - June Garber ⁠
⁠
Pictured - June Garber and North Easton. ⁠
Songwriters - June Garber, Rosanne Baker Thornley, North Easton (RBT | NE)

05/13/2022

RE-EMERGING

We've been a bit MIA for the past while. A by-product of too much doing and no time to share it.

But as spring leaves find their way back into the world - so are we ready to do the same.

Excited to be back on the page. And happy to see you here!

06/21/2021

DUNCAN BOUDREAU

“15 minutes into my first writing session with the Rosanne and North and it felt like I had been writing with them for years. They listened to my ideas with such grace and patience, and provided a space for me to be vulnerable and discover for myself what kind of song we would write with helpful guidance along the way. Their authenticity and honesty proved to be just as therapeutic as it was productive for the song. I have come out of this process with so much more value and growth than a song, and I am looking forward to continuing my musical journey with their support and guidance”. - Duncan Boudreau

A total pleasure to be working with Duncan. Looking forward to the road ahead and to our upcoming sessions to find new songs.

06/17/2021

Duncan Boudreau
“I’m a 22-year-old singer-songwriter from Toronto. Before meeting Rosanne and North, I had only ever written songs by myself or with school friends. It was clear from the first conversation with Rosanne that their goal is not just to write a song, but also to understand who you are as a person and to advocate for your own uniqueness every step of the way.”
- Duncan Boudreau

Duncan was already writing and producing his own music, but was curious to expand his songwriting chops by collaborating. As is the case always, our conversation lead us to the heart of Duncan and to “If Anybody Asks”.

04/21/2021

TREVOR LAROSE
"It’s always a pleasure to get into a room and write music with Rosanne and North. They round each other out so well as writers, playing off each others styles and idiosyncrasies. Through strong relativeness and love for the music, they’ve helped me write many songs. Through all the fun times and written melodies, they’ve helped me plant my feet firmly as an artist as my career has progressed. For any artist, aspiring or in the business, I definitely recommend working on a tune with these talented writers / musicians". - Trevor LaRose

Trevor LaRose is by no means new to the music landscape. He is an experienced performer, and an accomplished singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, who is inspired and excited to collaborate. Trevor brings to the writing room an awesome level of talent and shares openly what’s on his mind, and in his heart.
More can be found on our website at www.thatfirstsong.com
You can follow us at https://www.instagram.com/thatfirstsong/

01/27/2021

MIKALYN
"I first started writing with Rosanne and North when I was a relatively new writer. I instantly felt at home with this amazing duo. Rosanne and North are seasoned professionals, and it was easy to feel welcome in the comforting environment they provided. They are dedicated, hard working creators who inspire everyone around them - every song unique and intricate with captivating lyrics and addictive melodies. I always leave our sessions feeling confident, and inspired to do more."
- Mikalyn

At 13 years of age, singer/songwriter Mikalyn Hay reached out saying she would love an opportunity to work with us. Shortly after that we wrote and produced "ANYWAY", a song that was based in her reality of school bullying. Mikalyn and "ANYWAY" went on to win numerous awards including "Indie International", "International Songwriting Competition", "UK Songwriting Contest", and also landed her a finalist spot in CBC's "Searchlight". But more importantly, it was the beginning of a friendship and solid writing relationship that has since found more songs for Mikalyn to nurture and grow her career.

You can hear and see 13-year-old Mikalyn and that first song "ANYWAY" at - https://www.thatfirstsong.com/

01/05/2021

CARLOS MORGAN
"I had the pleasure of writing a heartfelt, soulful and inspirational song with North Easton and Rosanne Baker Thornley (RBT | NE) called "Have A Little Faith".

The song is about finding inner faith, courage, strength and love for oneself to overcome life's trials, tribulations and obstacles. I had contacted North because I wanted to write and record a different style of song for my new and forthcoming album, and knowing North as a prolific singer / songwriter, I thought he would be the perfect person to explore, write and collaborate with in a singer/songwriter style/genre. And after meeting Rosanne, I knew I had made the perfect choice to write with these brilliant singer/songwriters.

Although I had gone to North and Rosanne with a different song idea I wanted to write with them, when North picked up his guitar and started playing, the music, lyrics and melody started to flow.

The writing process with North and Rosanne was based in collaboration, teamwork, sharing and respecting of ideas for the lyrics, melody and creativity of the song. I felt comfortable, safe and heard. And as we completed "Have A Little Faith", I knew we had written a hit song.

Since releasing the song to the world, the response for "Have A Little Faith" has been overwhelmingly positive and inspirational. So many people have been touched, blessed and inspired by our song. I am deeply grateful to have written with North and Rosanne and am looking forward to writing more songs with them in the future. Thanks to North and Rosanne for writing and collaborating on such a beautiful and magnificent song with me.” - Carlos

Carlos Morgan is a Canadian soul and rhythm and blues singer, noted for winning the Juno Award for Best R&B/Soul Recording. The inspiration for “Have A Little Faith” was found inside the conversation during our first session with Carlos where we learned about the struggles he had traveled through. “Have A Little Faith” was produced by our team, as was the initial song video, and a video to promote Carlos’ fundraising campaign. “Have A Little Faith” is a timeless classic that has become synonymous with Carlos as it continues to gain notoriety and acclaim Internationally, having to date reached #2 on the Euro Indie Music Chart. Carlos embodies every note and nuance of "Have A Little Faith". We love that. It’s been our great pleasure to be a part of Carlos’ journey and are currently working on new song with him.

“Have A Little Faith” can be found on our website at www.thatfirstsong.com

12/11/2020

CAROLYN HAO

“Co-writing with Rosanne and North was an eye-opening experience. I was able to incorporate my own ideas in conjunction with theirs, and I had an amazing time while doing so. The process of writing, recording, and producing the music was absolutely stunning. Needless to say, I’m in love with their work - they are very dedicated to the work they do, and I was able to learn so much from this experience. I really enjoyed working with these two kind, amazing and talented artists, and I highly encourage everyone to experience it for themselves” - Carolyn Hao

Carolyn Hao is a talented, 14-year-old musician / singer who came to us looking for a song to fit her vibe and her voice, and to be her breakthrough tune into the professional side of music. Our first writing session started with Carolyn sharing with us her experience of being a teen-ager with too much on her mind and the late nights, long nights where she couldn’t fall asleep. This led us to writing “LOSING COUNT” where we highlighted Carolyn’s incredible voice, quick wit and quick talk.

We spend a considerable amount of time with our artists through the journey of a song and I can honestly say that working with Carolyn - from writing - to pre-production - through to recording, filming and photographing was as fulfilling for us as it was for her. “Losing Count” placed Carolyn in the top tier of "CBC’s Searchlight Competition" as well as found her the first place win of the “Unsigned Only Music Competition” Teen Category. All said, Carolyn is able to walk confidently through the doors this song is opening for her.

“Losing Count” can be found on our website at www.thatfirstsong.com

12/08/2020

We’ve been doing this for quite awhile now, and have a solid group of artists we work with. So we figure naming ourselves “That First Song” perfectly identifies what it is we do.

What we do first is - write songs.

We produce songs. We take photos. We shoot video. We mentor and coach. And we help artists with a way forward for their careers and their songs.

Whether you’re a new artist looking for a song that genuinely reflects who you are so you can step intentionally into the music business, or an established artist wanting to collaborate on a new approach to your songs, well, that’s exactly what we do.

Together we can write that first song, and help you move forward.

We’d love to find you, and find out more about you. You can find us at thatfirstsong.com

THAT FIRST SONG is a songwriting, production, and artist development team consisting of awarding-winning singer / songwriters Rosanne Baker Thornley and North Easton (RBT | NE ) ....